Conjugated polymer nanoparticles via intramolecular crosslinking of dendrimeric precursors

The synthesis of polybenzylether dendrimers through intramolecular crosslinking for the formation of conjugated polymer nanoparticles was investigated. The crosslinking affects the size and rigidity of electroactive dendrimer, which can be altered by controlling the extent of crosslinking of the peripheral carbazole groups using polymerization methods. The electrochemical crosslinking was also performed in situ using electrochemical nanolithography in which the crosslinking occurs at the interface of an electrode substrates. It was observed that the dendrimer shows entirely different fluorescence spectra before and after crosslinking. A size exclusion chromatography (SEC) analysis was performed to confirm the intramolecular crosslinking of the individual dendrimers based on a change in size. It was also observed that the chemical and the in situ electrochemical methods have shown variations in size and rigidity of the dendrimer nanoparticles and regardless of crosslinking methods.